“When a white guy shoots up a post office, they call that going postal,” said Victor Benjamin II, 30, a former member of the Army. “But when a Muslim does it, they call it jihad.
“Ultimately it was Brother Nidal’s doing, but the command should be held accountable,” Mr. Benjamin said. “G.I.’s are like any equipment in the Army. When it breaks, those who were in charge of keeping it fit should be held responsible for it.”
For my part, I find this point-of-view refreshing as a reality-check. There have been a slew of reports, although nothing overarching and definitive, on the long-term effects of our conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, on the mental health of veterans. The long-simmering understanding that returning vets have a greater tendency for violence and self-destruction, and the limited resources allocated to confront this problem frames the events at Ft. Hood in a completely different light than raising the question of whether or not Major Nidal's religious views played a part. Granted, Maj. Nidal was not a returning vet, and it seems highly likely, as the facts continue to emerge from the fog and blood of Texas, that religion indeed played a part. Yet, as Benjamin points out in the quote above, as part of a hierarchy of command within the military - and with a history of warning signs clear enough for the military already to note that action was taken in Nidal's case - there is a certain amount of responsibility to be placed at Nidal's commanders.
It should also be pointed out that there are thousands of active-duty military personnel who are faithful Muslims who haven't gone around shooting up their fellow service members. This, too, should raise the question of the relevance of Maj. Nidal's religious beliefs as a factor governing his actions.
I am still waiting for more facts to surface, more information on what triggered Nidal to allegedly begin shooting up folks with whom he worked and served. I certainly reserve the right to change my mind as to the role his religious beliefs may or may not have played in determining his actions. In the end, though, I think complaining that a particular quote in a story doesn't bring up religion because religion may not have been a factor misses an obvious point. Maj. Nidal's religious beliefs may not have played a role, and there are other issues, including the role of the military chain of command and the lack of mental health resources (ironic, of course, because Nidal was an Army psychiatrist) made available to active duty personnel and veterans.
